Tbilisi Book Festival: Heaven for literary enthusiasts
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In the middle of a large, noisy hall filled with people, stands a young man with a microphone. He’s trying to attract people’s attention, without success.
"To the mother of a young boy wearing a red t-shirt and blue cap…please come to the stage,” he says.
His words fall on deaf ears and no one pays him any attention.
"Has anyone lost a child? Please come,” he repeated. The lost child stands alone. His mother is lost in the books, literally.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
She was one of hundreds of people who attended the 16th annual Tbilisi International Book Festival where thousands of books from all literary genres were available to readers.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
The festival, held from May 29 to June 1, brought together literature fans and publishing insiders from Georgia and further afield, which was described by organisers as: "A discomfort zone for illiterate people and a heaven for bibliophiles”.
Inside the crowded hall, tables were piled high with new and old books of all varieties – fiction, self-help, sci-fi and more, many of which were heavily discounted.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
Mulling through the piles of books was the Minister of Culture, who was spotted selecting books with school-aged children.
Since the Tbilisi International Book Festival launched in 1997, the event has quickly become one of the country’s most favoured cultural and social events. It was initiated and organized each year by the Georgian Book Publishers and Distributors Association.
Organisers said this year’s festival was the busiest and most successful where thousands of books were sold during the four-day event. Hardly anyone left the festival venue with empty hands. Many who picked up a rare find or a bargain or two posted images of their haul on Facebook and other social media.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
Giorgi Kekelidze of the National Library of the Parliament of Georgia believed the phenomenon behind buying books was changing. He believed the mentality of the buyer versus the reader was also shifting, where acquiring books were more about enjoyment than social status.
While commenting on a 2012 study of Georgian readers’ habits, Kekelidze said during Georgia’s Soviet period books were more an item of self-promotion where it was desirable to have shelves full of books, and books were not intended to be read.
"It is obvious that the market and statistics are not interested in knowing whether the person reads the book after he buys it, but the above mentioned attitude became relevant in the period of Georgian independence. Social hardships have deprived citizens of the luxury of buying books for décor,” he said.
The study of 1000 people also revealed reading and buying books were indivisible concepts.
"Books are so expensive that nobody will buy them only for keeping,” those surveyed said.
The same study, conducted by the order of the Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association within the Book Platform project, found more than 60 percent of respondents read up to ten books in a year, while 18 percent admitted that they did not read any books last year.
Illustration from the report on the Readership Study in Georgia carried out within project "Book Platform".
Those surveyed believed content (84 percent) and the author (65 percent) were the most influential factors when selecting books to buy. Suggestions from friends or relatives also had a significant influence on consumer choice, in terms of buying and reading.
Illustration from the report on the Readership Study in Georgia carried out within project "Book Platform".
As well as the attraction of having the opportunity to buy books for a low price, enthusiasts were also drawn to the festival to meet leading global authors. Each year organisers invited famous writers around the globe to attend the Festival so readers can meet their favorite authors in person.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page
This year’s guests were Norwegian authors Erlend Loe and Stian Hole, Canadian Patrick Woodcock and Germany-based Georgian writer Nino Kharatishvili.
Photo from Tbilisi International Book Festival official Facebook page